Soap-dispensing machine



I. J. NELSON soAP nrsPENsmG MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 1923 INI/ENTOR atentecl July 22, 1924.

IVANJ. NELSON, or SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

SOAP-D ISPENSING .lVIAGI-IINE,-

Application filed September 24, 1923: Serial No.-664:,529'.=

T0 @ZZ whom t may @vof/wem:

Be it knownthat-I, IvAN. J. NELSON, a citizen of the United* States, residing at Saginaw, inthe county ofl Saginawy and y State ofl Michigan, have. inventedl certain 'new and useful Improvements-in Soap-Dispensing Machines and I- doherebyl declare the :following-tobea-full, clear,Y and exact descriptionof `the invention, suchi as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to.l make and vuse* the same.

This .invention relates soap dispensing Amachines and the improvement pertains more particularlyzto an improvement in the means for cutting the soap and forfeedmg the soap to the cutters.Y The. improvement also includes means to preventthe user from cuttingan excessive amount of soap atfaptime, this device consisting in a mechanism that stops-,theI operating handle after the cutter has made say, one revolution, requiring the operator to press a button on the side ofthe machinev before. the handle. can? again be turned to operate the cutter.

With the foregoing and certain other-4 objects in-viewwhich will appear later in the specifications, my improvement consists Vin the devices described and claimed andthe equivalents thereof.V

Inr the drawings section of a soap dispensing machine embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

As is clearly shown in the drawings the soap dispensing machine consists in a receptacle consisting of an upper part 1 and a lower conical part 2. Rotatably mounted in the lower conical part is a revolvable cutter 3 which is preferably dished or cone shaped, the cutter having internal knife edges l and having an annular rim 5 at its large diameter, the lower face 6 of the rim comprising a circular guideway upon which the cutter rotates. The upper face 7 is formed with teeth meshing with a gear 8 which is operated by a crank 9.

Within the upper part 1 of the receptacle is a longitudinally movable spring pressed plunger 10, the bottom face of which is formed with camlike projections 11 Vadapted to engage the ends of the cakes of soap in the usual manner. I

The plunger is pressed downward by a pair of spirallytapered springs 12 and 13,

Fig. 1 is a part vertical the1 springsr being op ositely directedland separatedI by a vertica ly movablewasher 14.

V7'ashei'-1isand j theplunger 10 are both slidableona iixedbar 15 secured axially in the upper-'part lofthe receptacle, the'bar- 15 being in effectA a nonarotatable;` central shaft'rthat1 projects; down into .the conicalv trally part way into the conical revolvable `cutter 3; as shown inFig.-1.y The. purpose of this combination, viz., the central nonrevolvable bar ofangular-or equivalentisection? and thelirev-olvable conical cutter is to prevent thecale's ofv soap from turning while being 'fed vrdown into thecutter.

Moreover, the lowerend of the bar, projecting part wayinto thel cutter, reinforces the thin tapered walls of the lower end of the cake while thislower endv is being shavedvawayby the, revolving gcutter, therebyf preventing crumbling y of the.V lowermost edges.

Ther oppositely directed tapered A springs 12 and 13 are capable, of;- being ,1 compressed into small space and by reason of their shape produce a practically uniform pressure upon plunger 10 at both extremities of its travel.

By turning crank 9 the conical cutter 3 rotates and shaves the soap from the lower ends of the cakes that are yieldingly pressed against the cutter knives by the plunger 10.

The turning force is applied to the periphery of the cutter 3, and the periphery itself is guided and supported by the large bearing surface 6 so that the cutter remains in alignment while being driven by the gear 7 and handle 9 without danger of binding, since the cutter isv entirely independent of shaft 15.

To prevent the user from turning crank 9 after he has secured a predetermined amount of shaved soap, I provide the cam and latch device which will now be described. Upon the periphery ofrim 5 I provide a stop 16 and a cam 17 spaced apart as shown in Fig. 2. In the lowerV part 2 of the receptacle I provide a horizontal groove 18 in which slides a latch 19. This latch may be moved toward or from the rim 5 so as to engage or be released from the stop 16. I also provide a push button 20 which is connected to latch 19 by a bar 21 pivoted as at 22 to the lower part 2 of the receptacle.

When latch 19 is out the cutter 3 is free to turn, but at that time the inner end of the stem of push button 2O is in the path of cam 17 on the rim of cutter 3.- When cam 17 contacts with the stem of push button 20 it forces it outward, thus by means of bar 21 bringing latch 19 into the path of stop 16 on rim 5. Consequently only one revolution of cutter 3, equivalent to, say, two turns of the crank 9, can be made without the cutter automatically klocking itself. The operator must then push in the button 20 to release latch 19 .before he can again turn the handle and dispense more soap.

As an article of manufacture the device above described is simple and relatively inexpensive. The upper part 1 of the receptacle, the lower part 2y and the cutter 3'with its toothed face 7 are preferably formed each of a singlecasting. y

The direct connection between the cutter 3 and gear 8 is such that the handle 9 may be safely turned with considerable ,force without danger either of breakingthe cake of soap or injuring the machine, yet only a single turn of the cutter is possible without automaticallyV locking the `machine and requiring the operator to again' push the button 20.

To lock the upper compartment 1 and the conical lower part 2 together Vin their assembled relation I preferably provide a socket-headed set screw 23 threaded into a boss on the part 2 taking against the rim of the upper compartment, as showrrin Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Ina soap dispensing machine, the combination of a receptacle for the soap to be dispensed, a revolvable dished cutter receiving the soap, means for revolving said cutter and a movable latch carried by said receptacle and engaging said cutter at each revolution' and means for manually releasing Said latch.

2. In a soap dispensing machine, the combination of a receptacle. for the soap to be dispensed, a revolvable dished cutter receiving the soap, means for revolving said cutter, cam-stops on said cutter, and. a movable latch carried by said receptacle and engaging said stops at each revolution of the cutter, and manual releasing means for said latch.

3. In a soap dispensing machine, the combination of Va receptacle for the soap to beV dispensed, a revolvable dished cutter receiving the soap, a longitudinally movable plunger, a pair of oppositely directed tapered spiral springs between the top of said receptacle and said plunger, and a washer interposed between the adjacent ends of said springs. Y f

4. In a soap dispensing machine', the combination of a receptacle for the soap Vto kbe dispensed, a revolvable dished cutter at the lower end of said receptacle, an axially disposed non-revolv'able bar of angular section secured to the top, of said receptacle,`the lower end of said bar projecting partI way into said dished cutter, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

' `IVAN J. NELSON. 

